Iridescent Sharks

Usually people call em’ blue line shark, Naja shark or Paroon Shark but this is misunderstanding and this shark is different and is common in pet stores. Pangasius hypophthalmus, Siamese shark, sutchi catfish or Iridescent Shark is basically a catfish and is common in the fishkeeping hobby. Their omnivorous diet consists of crustaceans, other fish, and plant matter. They will reach 3 to 4 ft in size, can weigh up to a maximum of 44.0 kg (97 lb) and they will eat anything. Juvenile iridescent sharks are sold as pets for home aquariums but they are not easy fish to keep and are not recommended for normal home aquariums (even if its of 8ft size). Its a No No. They have very poor eyesight, so any foreign movement they detect outside of their habitat, will see as an utter threat. If stressed, their first instinct is to flee, and such a blind dash can result in injuries, especially in an aquarium environment.

The fins are dark grey or black and have a black stripe along the lateral line and a second black stripe below the lateral line; they have a shiny, iridescent color that gives these fish their name. Large adults are uniformly grey and lack the striping.

Iridescent sharks are schooling fish that prefer to be kept in groups of 5 or more. They are very active fish that require a lot of space. Many fish owners are unaware of the enormous size that an iridescent shark can reach and also that they can bite very harshly. Most iridescent sharks kept in home aquaria grow to only 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) in length and die prematurely from organ failure. An iridescent shark requires a minimum tank size of 12 m (40 feet) to develop naturally and live a long, healthy life.